• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.884-890
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• 2010

To examine the effects of horticultural occupational therapy (HOT) on the physical and psychological rehabilitation of stroke patients with paralysis on one side of the body, a horticultural therapy (HT) program was implemented along with occupational therapy (OT) in 20 patients with hemiplegia after stroke (treatment group). In the control group, another 20 patients with hemiplegia after stroke received OT but no HT. The HOT program consisted of various indoor horticultural activities that proceeded stepwise on a weekly basis over the course of four weeks. The selected horticultural occupations were organized into four-phases: motivation, adaptation, sociality, and interpersonal relationships and communication. The grooved pegboard test (GPT), geriatric depression scale (GDS), and functional independent measure (FIM) were tested to the patients in this study. Unlike control group, the treatment group showed statistically significant differences in GPT, GDS, and FIM ($p$<0.001). In addition, communication, social cognition, and self-care scores as FIM subordinate factors were improved significantly by HOT program which motivated patients to engage in rehabilitation therapy. This finding suggests that HOT has the potential to be used as an OT program for stroke patients with hemiplegia.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.339-351
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• 2004

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of phased horticultural therapy(HT) program on the experience of psychologic therapy and the development of job and social integration in the mentally handicapped persons. In this study, the mentally handicapped persons participated in HT program were chosen in disabled person's welfare institute of Jeonnam. HT program was performed twice a week with 1 hour activity for 4 months. As a results, the mentally handicapped persons participated in HT program showed high interest of horticulture and improvement of self-respect and the high satisfactory degree of HT program. Therefore, the mentally handicapped persons were showed the experience of both physical and mental therapy, improvement of self-esteem scale and sociality in HT program. Also, the application of HT program with continuously interest will be showed high improvement of physical, psychological and sentimental. In the course of this HT program progress, horticultural therapist and social welfare officer were showed the limitation of role. Therefore the leaders of group for successful HT program be required the comprehensive plan of more efficient HT program and induced technique of continuously up-phased improvements in HT program progress.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.449-462
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• 2012

The objectives of this study were to measure the range of motion for joints and muscle activation of upper limb for flower arrangement tasks for physical rehabilitation and to test horticultural therapy programs using flower arrangement tasks for improving upper limb function of the patients with stroke. Major flower arrangement tasks were classified with eight tasks (cutting 1, thick stem; cutting 2, thin stem; fixing 1, long stem; fixing 2, short stem; rolling a leaf; bending 1, thick stem; bending 2, thin stem; and winding, using a wire) based on the occupational analysis. When eight male university students (mean age $24.1{\pm}2.5$ years) conducted the eight flower arrangement tasks, range of motion for joints and muscle activation of upper limb were measured by a 3D motion analyzer and electromyography, respectively. Based on the results of the range of motion and muscle activation of upper limb, horticultural therapy programs using flower arrangement tasks (total 33 sessions) for improving upper limb function of the patients with stroke was conducted at a rehabilitation hospital, Seoul, South Korea and then the range of motion, grip strength, and upper limb function of the patients were tested. Among the eight flower arrangement tasks, cutting 1, winding, and bending 1 induced the highest value for the range of motion in joints of shoulder, elbow, and wrist, respectively (P < 0.001). In terms of muscle activation, eight flower arrangement tasks performed in this study showed various patterns of muscle activation and several muscles were simultaneously used for each task (P < 0.001). In addition, thickness and length of the materials used in a task had a prominent effect on the range of motion for joints and muscle activation of upper limb (P < 0.001). The stroke patients had positive effects for their range of motion of upper limb (shoulder, forearm, and elbow), grip strength, and overall upper limb function through the horticultural therapy program. Thus, this study suggested that flower arrangement tasks would be a potential horticultural activity for physical rehabilitation program. It would be interesting to apply a customized horticultural therapy program using flower arrangement tasks according to the symptoms of patient for physical rehabilitation.